1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a skylight device and, more particularly, to a skylight device that conveys light from an exterior roof to an interior ceiling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conveying of outdoor light into an interior room through a roof-mounted window or skylight is well known in the art. In a first type of skylight system, a translucent skylight is fixed to a roof, and a portion of the ceiling of the interior room opens directly to the roof-mounted skylight. Such skylight constructions have a significant disadvantage in requiring doing without ceiling insulation from the portion of the ceiling that receives light from the skylight. In this respect, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which did not do without insulation from a portion of the ceiling that receives light from a roof-mounted skylight.
Another disadvantage associated with the first type of skylight system is the susceptibility of water leaks from the skylight into the room during rain storms. The same susceptibility to water leaks can occur from melting snow. In this respect, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which reduced the susceptibility of water leaks from a skylight into a room below the skylight.
Yet another disadvantage of the first type of skylight system is the exposure of the room below to the outdoor weather when the roof-mounted skylight is broken or subject to repairs. In this respect, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which did not subject a room below to outdoor weather when a roof-mounted skylight is broken or subject to repairs.
In a second type of skylight system, a skylight is mounted on a roof, a translucent ceiling fixture is mounted on a room ceiling, and a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft is constructed to extend between the roof-mounted skylight and the translucent ceiling-mounted fixture. Construction of the rigid, insulated light conveying shaft requires quite a bit of measuring, cutting, and installation skills. Moreover, often the roof-mounted skylight cannot be placed directly above the ceiling-mounted translucent fixture. In such a case, the rigid, insulated light conveying shaft must be constructed to have angular bends. In addition, the roof-mounted skylight may be placed on a sloped roof, and the ceiling-mounted translucent fixture would most generally be placed on a horizontal ceiling. Therefore, the rigid, insulated light conveying shaft from the roof-mounted skylight to the ceiling-mounted translucent fixture must be sloped at one end and horizontal at the other end.
In view of these above-mentioned considerations, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which avoided the construction of a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft from a roof-mounted skylight to a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture. In addition, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which avoided the construction of angular bends in a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft constructed between a roof-mounted skylight that is not placed directly above a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture. Furthermore, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which avoided the construction of a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft constructed between a sloped-roof-mounted skylight and a horizontal-ceiling-mounted translucent fixture.
Another disadvantage in constructing a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft between a roof-mounted skylight and a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture is the extensive amount of time required to construct the rigid, insulated light conveying shaft. Extensive amounts of time translate into expensive amounts of money when professional skylight installers are employed. In this respect, it would be desirable if a skylight construction which permits installation of a light conveyance between a roof-mounted skylight and a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture in much less time than installation of a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft.
A conventional rigid, insulated light conveying shaft is generally constructed from materials, such as sheetrock, that generally need to be treated and painted before the job is considered complete. In this respect, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which did not require painting of the light conveyance from the roof-mounted skylight to the ceiling-mounted translucent fixture.
In the second type of skylight system mentioned above, a standardized roof-mounted skylight may be supplied, and a standardized ceiling-mounted translucent fixture may also be supplied. However, the light conveyance between the roof-mounted skylight and the ceiling-mounted translucent fixture must be constructed in a customized way. In this respect, it would be desirable if a skylight construction were provided which eliminated the need for a customized construction of a light conveyance between a roof-mounted skylight and a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture. By eliminating the need for a customized construction of the light conveyance, a standardized kit can be provided that includes a standardized light conveyance along with a standardized roof-mounted skylight and a standardized ceiling-mounted translucent fixture.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to skylight constructions, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 4,610,116; 4,788,804; 4,823,525; 5,044,133; and Des. 328,795. More specifically, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,116, 4,788,804, 4,823,525, and 5,044,133 relate to roof-mounted skylights. They do not relate to ceiling-mounted translucent fixtures. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 328,795 relates to a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture and not to a roof-mounted skylight.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use roof-mounted skylights, ceiling-mounted translucent fixtures, and customized constructions of light conveyances between the two, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a roof to ceiling skylight apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not do without insulation from a portion of the ceiling that receives light from the skylight; (2) reduces the susceptibility of water leaks from a skylight into a room below the skylight; (3) does not subject a room below a skylight to outdoor weather when a roof-mounted skylight is broken or subject to repairs; (4) avoids the construction of a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft from a roof-mounted skylight to a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture; (5) avoids the construction of angular bends in a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft constructed between a roof-mounted skylight that is not placed directly above a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture; (6) avoids the construction of a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft between a sloped-roof-mounted skylight and a horizontal-ceiling-mounted translucent fixture; (7) permits installation of a light conveyance between a roof-mounted skylight and a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture in much less time than installation of a rigid, insulated light conveying shaft; (8) does not require painting of the light conveyance from the roof-mounted skylight to the ceiling-mounted translucent fixture; (9) eliminates the need for a customized construction of a light conveyance between a roof-mounted skylight and a ceiling-mounted translucent fixture; and (10) provides a standardized skylight kit that includes a standardized light conveyance along with a standardized roof-mounted skylight and a standardized ceiling-mounted translucent fixture. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique roof to ceiling skylight apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.